Who Are Nancy And Paul Pelosi's Children?
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's family was rattled after an intruder broke into the Pelosi home in October 2022. The suspect, David DePape, reportedly planned to kidnap Nancy but instead violently bludgeoned her husband, Paul Pelosi. The businessman's injuries, which included a skull fracture, left him hospitalized. Just one day after her husband's assault, Nancy released a statement in which she shared how her family was grappling with the horrific events. "Yesterday morning, a violent man broke into our family home, demanded to confront me and brutally attacked my husband Paul," She wrote. "Our children, our grandchildren and I are heartbroken and traumatized by the life-threatening attack on our Pop."
It goes without saying the Pelosi family is close. Nancy and Paul's five children live rather interesting lives, and many of them have gone on to follow in their parents' footsteps by pursuing careers in politics or landing leadership roles at prestigious companies. Some have gone on to start families on their own; Nancy and Paul are the proud grandparents of nine grandkids. So, who are Nancy and Paul Pelosi's children? Keep reading to find out all about the siblings and their many accomplishments.
Paul Pelosi Jr. supported his father's recovery
Paul Pelosi Jr. is Nancy and Paul Pelosi's only son. He was also one of the first Pelosi family members to speak out following the home invasion and attack that left his father hospitalized. According to Fox News, Paul Jr. was photographed outside of his parents' home just hours after the assault. Speaking with reporters, he thanked those who had been praying for the family following the tragedy.
It seems that Paul Jr. has really been there for his father because he was also seen outside of the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, the facility Paul Sr. was admitted to after the attack. Per the New York Post, when asked about his father's condition, Paul Jr. said, "They are rebuilding him slowly." Paul Sr. was released from the hospital after undergoing surgery to repair a skull fracture. Thankfully for the Pelosi family, the father of five was permitted to continue his recovery at home just six days after the attack first occurred.
Paul Pelosi Jr. is an environmentalist
Not only is Paul Pelosi Jr. a super supportive son, but he's also passionate about protecting the environment. According to the businessman's website, he was once the president of the San Francisco Environment Commission. Nancy and Paul Pelosi's son implemented numerous progressive policies regarding climate change, recycling, preservation, and more while in this prestigious role. This isn't the only effort Paul Jr. has made to protect the environment. He is also a volunteer for the One Trillion Trees Initiative. As the name suggests, one trillion trees are to be planted and conserved by 2030 as part of this reforestation project. In 2021, Paul Jr. became President of EVSX Corp., which is a subsidiary of eco-mining company St-Georges. EVSX focuses on recycling electric vehicle batteries as one of its major priorities, according to The Newswire.
Outside of these ventures, Paul Jr. is also a lawyer and banker. He attended Georgetown University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History, per The Newswire. He later went back to the institution to obtain his MBA. The businessman received the Georgetown International Human Rights Award from his alma mater in 1994.
Alexandra Pelosi is a political journalist
Nancy and Paul Pelosi's daughter Alexandra Pelosi has a rather impressive career. She is a political journalist who spends much of her time documenting what goes on at the Capitol. Alexandra even captured footage of the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, and these clips were viewed by the House committee that investigated the incident.
Alexandra released her "Journeys With George" documentary in 2002, which helped her gain recognition. According to USC News, this film follows former U.S. President George W. Bush's campaign journey before he was elected. Alexandra was working for NBC at the time, and the network instructed her to document Bush's campaign. This gave her the opportunity to film "Journeys With George." "It was all an accident. It just happened," the filmmaker said of the documentary during an interview for USC News in 2004.
There was a time when Alexandra feared she wouldn't be able to release the film. "It was such a struggle to get this movie out," she revealed to USC News. "I thought at any moment NBC or the White House might kick down the door and demand the videotapes." The journalist even left her job to edit the documentary, so it may be safe to say that she was fully dedicated to the project. Luckily, Alexandra's hard work seems to have paid off given she's gone on to release a number of documentaries over the years.
Alexandra Pelosi made a doc about social media
"Journeys With George" aside, one of Alexandra Pelosi's most eye-opening documentaries is her 2020 film "American Selfie: One Nation Shoots Itself." This movie explores how phones and technology have influenced American politics. The video of George Floyd's murder is also a main focus of the documentary. "For every pop tart, every sorority girl who was standing in line for a new iPhone to take pictures of her perfect life, one 17-year-old girl used that phone to start a revolution," Pelosi said in The Guardian of Darnella Frazier, the then-teen who filmed the Minneapolis police officer who killed Floyd.
"American Selfie" also explores society's relationship with social media. "Every single person I talked to, no matter who they were going to vote for or if they weren't going to vote at all or didn't even know who was on the ballot, would say: social media is destroying our mental health," Pelosi told The Guardian. The accomplished journalist went on to share what may be an unexpected take given her own political views: "I think phones are much more dangerous than guns." She also said she'd prefer to buy her children a firearm over a smartphone.
In a separate interview with WWD, Pelosi explained that she makes an effort to seek out perspectives that may not line up with her left-leaning views. "I'm interested in people who don't agree with me, because that's much more interesting," she said.
Christine Pelosi is on the Democratic National Committee
It looks like Christine Pelosi shares her mother's passion for politics. Christine is an elected member of the Democratic National Committee, and as she notes on her website, she has helped pass resolutions to push for a $15 minimum wage, advocated for women's rights, and more. Christine is also an attorney and an author — just like a few of her other siblings. Some of her other notable career achievements include her role as a San Francisco prosecutor and her work for the National Federation of Democratic Women.
In November 2022, Nancy Pelosi announced that she'd decided to step down from her House Speaker role but would not leave Congress. Though Nancy has not given up her seat, there has been speculation regarding whether or not Christine might one day vie for that very spot in the House. (As of this writing, nothing's been declared.) When asked about the idea of Christine following in her mom's footsteps, former San Francisco mayor Willie Brown told The New York Times, "If her mother is not around, Christine would be a formidable candidate. Because her mother would make her a formidable candidate."
Christine Pelosi got into politics at an early age
It turns out that Christine Pelosi has been involved in the world of politics since childhood. In fact, she and the rest of the Pelosi kids all played an important role in Nancy Pelosi's career. Speaking with "Frontline," Christine shared that she and her four siblings volunteered at Democratic Party events with their mother from a young age. "Wherever there was a meeting of Democratic Party officials at a barbecue or a fundraiser or a veterans parade, we were there, all five of us loaded up in the car, and my mom driving us around," she recalled.
Christine went on to detail the family's duties. "So she was the key volunteer," she said of her mother. "We would stuff envelopes. We would ZIP sort the California Democratic Party newsletter in our living room, so that they could save money in the days before bulk mailing." Throughout the interview, Christine explained how these early days of volunteering eventually led Nancy to become a notable politician. The author was so inspired by her mother's career that she wrote a book about the methods she used to achieve success titled "The Nancy Pelosi Way: Advice on Success, Leadership and Politics from America's Most Powerful Woman."
Jacqueline Pelosi owns an art studio
Jacqueline Pelosi has created her own path that differs from that of her businessman father and politician mother. She owns her own art studio in Houston, Texas, where she holds classes for students of all ages. According to the studio's website, Pelosi opened the facility in 2005 after building an impressive art background. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Georgetown University and later earned a Master of Art Education and a Master of Special Education at the University of Houston. She spent some time as a volunteer and later worked at Houston's River Visual and Performing Arts Center.
According to The New York Times, Pelosi married Michael Terence Kenneally in 1993. The husband and wife both graduated from Georgetown University. Like Pelosi, Kenneally also attended graduate school, receiving his MBA from Cornell University. Although Kenneally's parents might not be quite as well known as his wife's, it sounds like he comes from a successful family, too: his father worked as president of industrial safety systems manufacturer Black, Sivalls & Bryson.
Nancy Corinne Prowda is a private person
Compared to her siblings and parents, Nancy Corinne Prowda seems to keep a low profile. That said, we do know that she married Theodore Jeffrey Prowda in 1995. According to The New York Times, Nancy Corinne received her degree from Mount Vernon College and was working at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose, California, at the time of her nuptials. As for Theodore, he was working as an administrator of special education programs within the San Francisco Unified School District. He attended the University of Denver for his undergraduate degree and received a master's degree in special education from St. Cloud University. Nancy Corinne and Theodore eventually relocated to Arizona and are the parents of a daughter (pictured above) and a son.
Looking back on growing up in the Pelosi household, Nancy Corinne told The Washington Post that her mother's parenting approach was rather effective. "She has a way of delivering her message to the intended without rubbing their face in it — without directly telling them why she's so disappointed," she said. "It'd be better if she'd just get mad at you."
What was childhood like for the Pelosi kids?
In 1964, Paul and Nancy Pelosi welcomed their firstborn, Nancy Corinne Prowda. Six years later, the Pelosis were a family of seven. In the aforementioned 2019 interview with The Washington Post, Christine Pelosi and Prowda both noted that their mom was good at navigating life with five kids — especially when things got hectic. They also believe her experience raising her kids may have prepared her for her role as U.S. Speaker of the House. "She's used to synchronized chaos," Christine said. "She's used to people wanting to be different and wanting to strive. She's used to competition among people." She shared that her mother always made a point to treat each of her kids equally.
While it may have seemed like Nancy Pelosi had it all figured out, she revealed to Vanity Fair that raising five kids wasn't easy. "Some days I didn't even have time to wash my face," she told the magazine. Still, the politician worked hard to keep her little ones in order. The kids were expected to clean their rooms before coming down for breakfast, and their mother packed their lunches every morning. "It was very organized and very focused on—we're eating one meal; now we're planning the next one," Christine told Vanity Fair.